File photo by Don Treeger / The ReppublicanSpringfield Superintendent of Schools Alan J. Ingram listens as Springfield Central High School graduate Veronica Brown sings the national anthem at her school's graduation in June.

SPRINGFIELD – Embattled schools superintendent Alan J. Ingram, under fire over the past three weeks since details of a $30,000 signing bonus became public, will resign June 30 at the end of his four-year contract.

Ingram’s announcement on Monday of his plans to leave drew a mixed reaction from city and school officials, but did not surprise some of his critics.

His list of accomplishments, however, which the superintendent provided in a two-page announcement of his resignation, drew immediate criticism as one-sided and self-serving.

“He plays these numbers games,” said School Committee member and mayoral candidate Antonette E. Pepe. Pepe said Ingram selected statistics that indicate progress while omitting negative statistics in his self-evaluation.

Both Pepe and City Council President Jose F. Tosado, also a candidate for mayor, said they were not surprised by Ingram’s announcement and believe his performance was unsatisfactory.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, meanwhile, praised Ingram, but said much more work needs to be done.

“Dr. Ingram’s public-service career has been commendable, and I wish him good health and well wishes with all his future endeavors,” Sarno said in a prepared release. “Dr. Ingram has made numerous changes to the school district, which I am hopeful will make positive changes for years to come; however, there is still much work to be done.”

Statement from Mayor Domenic Sarno

Mayor Sarno issued the following statement on Ingram's resignation:

“I want to thank Dr. Ingram for his service to the City and the Springfield School Department and the thousands of student lives impacted by his work. Dr. Ingram’s public service career has been commendable and I wish him good health and well wishes with all his future endeavors.”

Dr. Ingram has made numerous changes to the school district, which I am hopeful will make positive changes for years to come; however, there is still much work to be done. Mayor Sarno looks forward to working with Dr. Ingram during the transition and calls upon School Committee members to set aside differences to work cooperatively to ensure the smoothest transition possible for the benefit of our students.

Mayor Sarno will meet with the Springfield School Committee to discuss the assemblage of a search committee and development of an effective process to find a suitable replacement for the superintendent’s position.

Mayor Sarno stated, “That the most critical piece is the education of our students, we cannot afford any distractions that would interrupt in that process, this must be our number one priority.”

Sarno said the School Committee, of which he is chairman, will meet to discuss creation of a search committee and to establish a process for selecting a new superintendent.

The date of Ingram’s resignation coincides with the end of his four-year contract. His statement gave no indication why he is choosing to resign, and he said he would have no further comment on his decision.

“Let me make it clear, I will be fully engaged as the leader of the Springfield schools through the conclusion of this coming school year,” Ingram wrote. “I am looking forward to a great new school year for the children of Springfield, and will be focused on and dedicated to making that happen.”

The signing bonus, included as a “side letter” to his original 2008 contract, was “to compensate for the higher cost of real estate in Springfield” and made with the “understanding that this payment may be required to assist you in making a down payment while potentially maintaining your current residence in Oklahoma City.” Over the past three weeks, a School Committee subcommittee voted to ask Ingram to repay the money because he has yet to buy a house here, and an opinion from city solicitor Edward M. Pikula concluded the superintendent was not legally bound to return the money.

Ingram, who rents a home in Springfield, said he has been fully committed to the job and never sought employment elsewhere during his three-year tenure, but will search now for other employment.

School Committee member Christopher Collins said he is concerned about the impact of having a “lame duck” superintendent in place for the full school year. “That shakes the confidence at the school level, at the instructional level,” Collins said.

Timothy T. Collins, president of the Springfield Education Association and Christopher Collins’ brother, said he, too, is concerned the early notice of the superintendent’s resignation could bring some initiatives to a standstill.

“We made some progress,” Timothy Collins said. “You always have to keep pushing to improve that.”

Any time a school district loses a superintendent, there is a loss of “traction to success,” added School Committee member Denise M. Hurst. She said the superintendent’s situation “really turned into politics.”

Ingram, in his release, said there was significant progress during his tenure including: increased attendance; decreased truancy; a decrease in the percentage of student suspensions; an increase in Advance Placement exams; and gains in Student Academic Proficiency such as Reading/English Language Arts and Mathematics (Grades 3-8 and 10) and Science and Technology (Grades 3, 5, and 8).

Pepe said Ingram cites statistics in some grades, but omits others. In addition, some of the cited accomplishments began before he became superintendent, she said.

Pepe said she believes the timing of Ingram’s announcement occurred as he realized that he would not have sufficient votes from the School Committee to have his contract renewed.

Ingram, in his release, though, said he wanted to give the School Committee ample notice so it could conduct a comprehensive search for his replacement and assist with the transition.

Tosado said he would give Ingram a “D” if asked to grade the superintendent’s performance. “He never lived up to the promises he made relative to creating a substantial change in the city,” Tosado said. “He leaves a worse record than when he came in.”

The school system has 10 underperforming (Level 4) schools, and its initial turnaround plan for the High School of Commerce was rejected by the state, Tosado said.

An interview was sought with Ingram, but Azell M. Cavaan, communications director for the school system, said the superintendent would not be making additional comment beyond his press release.

Ingram had defended the signing bonus, and contended he lived up to the residency requirement by renting an apartment in the city’s South End neighborhood. He said that he spent the bonus on other living expenses, and that his use of the funds was “not inconsistent with the language of the agreement nor the intent of the payment.”

School Committee member Norman Roldan said he was “sort of a little surprised” by Ingram’s announcement, especially because he did not inform the School Committee first. It was, however, “common that he overlooked us on the School Committee,” Roldan said.